The National tribune., 1887-04-07
nnr head Hern.s VIII

IELLOW-ClIILENb
Our country's dead hero made a will. We now
have il under consideration in the matter of
pensioniDg the dependent soldier, our dead
hero's companion in-arms. That we may, in
our coming action, do justice to ALL let us
briefly review his will aud follow its diction.
In it he has made us q priceless bequest and
imposed upon us a most sacred trust His
will has been approved by the High Court of
Heaven, and must be administered upon in
the presence of the Judge of that High Court.
In his will he has made US the executors as
well as benefciaries of the will, and we must
account 70 the Judge of the High Court of its
hearing for faithful administration Of it.
Our dead hero has provided that his great
benefaction shall be used as follows: First, in
giving him Christian burial second, in pro-
yiding for those whom he left dependent; third,
in providing for his comrades vino might be-
come disabled and dependent. lie has said,
DO these things, and the residue, which will
be billions, give aud bequeath unto you for
ever aud forever"
Fellow-citizens we are the custodians of his
will; the custodians of the interests of those
whom he has provided for under the will, viz,
his dependent parents. wife and children, aud
his comrade who might, without fault of his
own. become dependent. We are the custodians
OF the residue, which is given unto us and
| poSterity. VIII we not conceive the magnitude
of his gift, and the saeredness of the trust he
has repOsed in us.
Our benefactor foresaw that his dependent
ones now that he must die. would become de-
| pendent upon the Nation; he saw that his COM
rade-in-arms, who was deyoting all Of his
! energies and powers of body and mind, under
| all of the manifold extreme exposures of war,
might exhaust his rich fund OF vitality, incur
disease from exposure, aud might with linger-
ing sickness come to want; hence the provision
| in his will for him.
fhat he col tb,,a Ja
dependent, should not be made by US an object
| OF charity; can we not see that he has an in
terest in the great beguest given to us, by which
| he has a claim for support as a matterof right.
Aside from this will of our dead hero we
know that the dependent soldier gave the
strength Of his Young manhood unto the Ma
| tons life, which was saved and made vigorous
and strong. We know that be, from Jealous,
untiring and unrelentng action, on the march
and in the field, with hunger and thirst at
times, battling the elements and his country 8
foe, lost vitality and incurred disease and dsa.
bility. Each one Of us know of such in the
| community in which we reside. We see them
walking our streets with faltering step and un-
steady gait-mere wrecks of their former selves.
AS they may be seen in the community in
which you reside, so may they be seen in
every community in this broad land. Their
number is legion. Can we be unmindful OF
| them2 Can we not discern that their vitality
went directly to- aud into, the vitality of the
Nationl May We not ask ourselves. what does
| the Nation, now vigorous, strong and wealthy
owe themf May wo not ask ourselves, what
does it not owe them2 Does it not owe them
that which they so generously, without stint
impaired TO the Nation when it asked it oi
themI Should it not now be returned to them
in their day Of needl But you may say, 1--WE
cannot return it to them" True, the Nation
cannot return to them their lost vitality, and
their former health and strength; but it can
aud should preserve them well, as best it may
in their weakness and age. The Nation that
will thus generously provide for its defenders
only wisely provides for its own perpetuity.
Our Chief Executive cannot see any Constitu
tonal way by which We can provide for them
or he would not have, with a high hand
vetoed the late enactment of Congress, which
but represented the voice of the people in it:
act of justice toward them. He, our Chic
Magistrate, IN his veto act said there is, though
one thing we can give them-giUe them glory
Will you not give them glory and also some
thing more substantially Glory is nice to take
but it sets best on full stomach. Glory alon,
is light diet for sick aud enfeebled man it il
light clothing with which TO shield him frou
the frostS of Winter; and surely the Winter o
his life is upon him now.
Fellow-citizens with your sovereign ballots
you make the makers and executors of the law
In the name of justice TO the dependent soldier
i ask you to keep in Congress Representative
who viii provide by enactment for him, and q
! place in the Executive Chair President VIII
will approve their enactment, that it may be
come law of the land. You owe it to hin
who offered his life for his country and stoo'
between our Government and anarchy an,
n-.lERnnIE Gft lama Miah